Local pop singer Amber Bondin speaks to Lara Zammit about her latest album 1991.
The album 1991 is composed of 12 tracks exploring a variety of genres and styles. What would you say is the element linking these tracks together and forming a cohesive album despite their stylistic differences?
I had been working on this album for quite some time. I believe that these past few years were an introspective journey between my life and my art and at this point in my career I felt like it was time to write an album on my own, I wanted it to be as personal as it could possibly get. My thoughts, my music and my experiences.
In this album, I tried to meld various genres together by exploring different melodies, riffs and instruments. Each song was carefully hand-crafted bit by bit and in the process, I made it a point to be open to exploring new genres which maybe I wouldn’t have normally associated myself with before.
The album artwork for 19911991 is paradoxically me in 2021. It’s part of my journey that has led me to this day and it’s a collaboration with my producers who always push me to new levels.
There isn’t really a specific link that binds the songs together, apart from the fact that almost all of them have been penned by me. However, they all form part of who I am.
1991 is the year I was born and 2021 marked my 30th birthday, which was a milestone I wanted to celebrate in the best way I know how – through my music. It was a gift from me to me and to my followers who have supported me throughout my career.
Having composed all the lyrics and giving this album a specific musical signature, what of yourself have you incorporated into the album? What is the personal significance of this album for you as an artist? What do you most value about the process of songwriting?
I have always wanted to write my own music, and I felt that this was the right time to do so, I felt ready to show this side of me.
I try to be a pioneer in what I do, and I translate that through my work
I released my debut album back in 2016 and even though I was highly involved in the process and production, I did not write the tracks alone. With this album, things were different, I wanted to write about my own experiences. I listen to all types of music and perceive the art of music as a discipline, so hopefully this album embodies that.
I try to explore different genres and get inspired holistically as an artist by all the things that surround me. I tried to keep this album personal. All songs represent an experience which I have lived or encountered closely. This album helped me grow as an artist as well as understand and appreciate better the writing process and the production side of it.
It involved a lot of hard work, long days at the studio and even longer writing sessions, but it was all worth it. I believe I have created an actual representation of myself, my feelings and emotions through this album.
Some of the tracks in the album, including Free (Nanna’s Song), appear to meld pop and typifying Maltese motifs, especially in the context of the family or the older generation of Maltese not usually associated with pop music, such as in the music video for Alive. Is this amalgamation intentional or incidental?
I always say music has no age limit and neither does love. I don’t necessarily see a typifying Maltese factor, as family and the older generation are essentially those who help us morph into who we are in this world.
Although, I must say, even though I am very patriotic, I don’t really associate those songs or visuals with Maltese motifs. For me particularly, family is a huge part of who I am and that translates into my creative work.
I grew up listening to jazz, blues and swing music because I spent a lot of time with my grandparents as a child, and I believe that’s helped me appreciate more all the music genres out there. It paved the way for new experiences and helped me to be fearless when it came to exploring and experiment between genres.
The older generation have helped mould the society we live in today and left their mark on music throughout the years even to this day, so I believe they play an important part in all of this.
In my music and visual material, I try to incorporate various moods, textures and contexts. I feel that not everything is black and white, we are who we are within various contexts, and I figure that that’s what makes us such different and unique individuals – we adapt to our surroundings. I try to be a pioneer in what I do, and I translate that through my work.
With regards to my track Free (Nanna’s Song), I wanted to pay tribute to the person who made me fall in love with music, who supported me throughout my career, who was my number-one supporter and my best critic. I owe my career to her – my nanna.
When she passed away, I wanted to release a track which reflected her – the bubbly, fun, loving person she was. An uplifting song dedicated to someone who passed away, rather than opting for the cliché sad ballad.
With regards to Alive, I wanted to portray that love has no age and no barriers, no matter how old you are or where you are and I think that message is a universal one and not just a Maltese motif.